Engine air path cooling system

• US 10,202,888 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2015
• Issued: 02/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Wicks, Christopher Donald
• Primary Examiner(s): Vilakazi, Sizo
• Application Number:
  US14/962,989
• Publication Number:
  US 20170159547A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,162 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00271 HVAC devices specially adapted for particular vehicle parts or components and being connected to the vehicle HVAC unit
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/14 otherwise than from cooling liquid of the plant , e.g. heat from the grease oil, the brakes, the transmission unit B60H1/03 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/00307 Component temperature regulation using a liquid flow
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 11/02 with liquid cooling
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2003/024 Cooling cylinder heads
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 3/02 Arrangements for cooling cylinders or cylinder heads
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 7/00 Controlling of coolant flow
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 9/06 by use of refrigerating apparatus, e.g. of compressor or absorber type
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 75/18 Multi-cylinder engines scavenging aspects F02B25/00
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/0414 Air temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0002 Controlling intake air
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/26 using computer, e.g. microprocessor
• CPC Class Codes: F02F 1/02 having cooling means cylinder heads F02F1/26
• CPC Class Codes: F02F 1/26 having cooling means
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/10268 Heating, cooling or thermal insulating means air coolers F02B29/04; thermal treatment of combustion-air, fuel or fuel-air mixture F02M31/00; details of the throttle valve housing F02D9/1035
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/104 Intake manifolds
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for selectively re-cooling intake air downstream of a charge air cooler. In one example, a system may include a cylinder head defining a plurality of cylinders, the cylinder head including a plurality of inlet ports each fluidically coupled to a respective cylinder, a refrigerant supply, and a refrigerant passage surrounding each inlet port and fluidically coupled to the refrigerant supply, the refrigerant passage shaped to correspond to an outer profile of each inlet port.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

cooling an engine by directing coolant from a cooling system through the engine;

cooling intake air upstream of the engine via a charge air cooler; and

selectively re-cooling the intake air at each of a plurality of inlet ports of the engine by flowing refrigerant through a refrigerant passage positioned around the plurality of inlet ports, where the refrigerant is from a refrigerant supply separate from the cooling system and having a vacuum flask housing refrigerant and a refrigerant pump.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein cooling the intake air upstream of the engine via the charge air cooler comprises cooling the intake air upstream of the engine by directing coolant from the cooling system through the charge air cooler.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein cooling the intake air upstream of the engine via the charge air cooler comprises cooling the intake air upstream of the engine by directing the refrigerant from the refrigerant supply through the charge air cooler.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein selectively re-cooling the intake air comprises re-cooling the intake air responsive to one or more of ambient temperature greater than a threshold temperature and engine load greater than a threshold load.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising estimating an amount of condensate at one or more of an intake manifold and the plurality of inlet ports, and, in response to the amount of condensate exceeding a threshold, increasing airflow to the engine to a level greater than requested by an operator of a vehicle in which the engine is installed, without increasing engine torque by adjusting an actuator of the engine to maintain torque.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the refrigerant is liquid nitrogen.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein a pressure relief valve is positioned in a refrigerant return line.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the refrigerant passage holding the refrigerant extends around a top and bottom of each inlet port, and wherein the refrigerant passage is a single, continuous passage.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the refrigerant passage is shaped to correspond to an outer profile of each of the plurality of inlet ports and has a width that extends outward from a cylinder head from an outer seal surface to a point where the plurality of inlet ports reach a side surface of the cylinder head.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the cylinder head includes a top machined surface configured to couple to a camshaft cover, and the refrigerant passage extends to the side surface adjacent to the top machined surface.